Hola! My name is Sophia and I am currently studying abroad in Santiago de Chile as part of the English Track of GW Chile. It is hard to wrap my head around how fast time has been flying by. I arrived in Santiago in the first week of July. The first month or two moved slowly, as I was getting familiar with my host family, the city and meeting new people. However, once I settled into my daily routine here, the weeks have been passing by in what feels like minutes.
One of my favorite aspects of studying abroad in Santiago is the places I have been able to travel to. Chile has amazing public transportation and some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen are only a few hours away by bus. I am going to write about my trip to Pucón the other weekend because it reaffirmed to me one of things I value most about my time studying abroad: stepping out of my comfort zone and meeting new people.
My friend Ava and I had been wanting to go to this town near the Villarrica Volcano for months, and with time running out we spontaneously booked tickets together the week of. I consider myself a planner, and arriving with no idea of what we were going to do for the weekend was an unfamiliar and somewhat stressful experience, however I am so thankful for that. Our first day we had class registration and went to a cafe that a friend had recommended. By the time that was over, we asked the baristas of the cafe which hikes they recommended. They said it was far too late in the day (12pm) to begin any hikes in the national park. However, knowing we had a short time in town, Ava and I decided to take a bus one hour to Huerquehue National Park and to see as much as possible before we had to catch the last bus back. We ran to the bus and one hour later arrived in a beautiful forest. On the trail, we met Jaime, a photographer travelling alone. We became fast friends and spent the entire hike together practicing Spanish and English. When we arrived back to Pucón, we spent the evening by the lake and walked Jaime to his bus back home. Two weeks later, Jaime, Ava, and I have been speaking by phone everyday to continue practicing our Spanish and English.
Ava had to come back to Santiago early on Sunday because of a presentation for one of her classes. I was initially reluctant to stay in Pucón because Ava's Spanish is much better than mine and I had never travelled alone before. Nevertheless, the morning Ava left I decided to extend my trip. With no plan I asked the hostel about activities for the day and 20 minutes later I was on my way to rafting. I met a group of travelers from England on the river and spent the better part of the day with them on the raft and later by the lake. This was one of the most special weekends of my semester here and my college experience as a whole. For me stepping out of my comfort zone was letting go of control, and in doing so made some very special friendships and experienced new adventures. In easing into the uncertainty of the trip, each day brought fulfilling surprises.
Sophia Velazquez
Fall 2023
GW Chile - English Track (GW Study Program)
Elliott School of International Affairs International Affairs Major
The Global Bachelor's Program